One is that these are personal devotions, not something required by the Church. Since they’re personal, you make the rules. You can start or stop them whenever it seems like a good idea to you.

The second answer is that to me – and I emphasize that this isn’t anything official – it makes sense to stop the penance when you start to celebrate Easter. If you go to the Easter Vigil, then the celebration starts there. Or maybe you start celebrating on Easter Sunday morning.

And I suppose there’s actually a third answer. Maybe you started a practice during Lent that you can carry over into your everyday life. If you’ve been doing some extra prayer, for example, maybe you would decide that you want to continue it after Lent is over.

[quote="SuscipeMeDomine, post:6, topic:320965"]
Are you asking when you can end your Lenten penances?

I think there are two answers.

One is that these are personal devotions, not something required by the Church. Since they're personal, you make the rules. You can start or stop them whenever it seems like a good idea to you.

The second answer is that to me -- and I emphasize that this isn't anything official -- it makes sense to stop the penance when you start to celebrate Easter. If you go to the Easter Vigil, then the celebration starts there. Or maybe you start celebrating on Easter Sunday morning.

And I suppose there's actually a third answer. Maybe you started a practice during Lent that you can carry over into your everyday life. If you've been doing some extra prayer, for example, maybe you would decide that you want to continue it after Lent is over.

[/quote]

Thank you for the reply. And sorry I left out an "about".

I gave up beverages except water, though I did have a couple 5 hour energies.

So I guess it would be alright to have other beverages when I wake up.

I was always taught (as Tradition) that it ended after Easter Sunday Mass

Me too…but the proper understanding is that Lent ends at the beginning of teh Holy Thurday Mass of the Lord’s Supper. However, Friday is a day of abstinance and fasting; and Saturday is also a day of quiet and prayer and fasting.

True. One might assume lent is over on Holy Thursday, but it simply begins the Triduum. It is not over until the vigil of Easter. We still fast on Holy Saturday, but we may eat meat. After the vigil, you are not required to fast or abstain. Think about it … most vigil masses do not end until almost midnight anyway, and by then, why would you still be fasting? We should be CELEBRATING!!! ALLELUIA!

[quote="Sirach2, post:12, topic:320965"]
True. One might assume lent is over on Holy Thursday, but it simply begins the Triduum. It is not over until the vigil of Easter. We still fast on Holy Saturday, but we may eat meat. After the vigil, you are not required to fast or abstain. Think about it ... most vigil masses do not end until almost midnight anyway, and by then, why would you still be fasting? We should be CELEBRATING!!!! ALLELUIA!

[/quote]

All you say here is correct except Lent is over at the beginning of the HT M or teh LS. The Triduum is a seperate and complete liturgical season from Lent. This is no assumption, it is fact taught by Holy Mother Church.

I think it bears saying that the understanding of the Triduum being a " liturgical season" was not the case until fairly recently. I grew up with the idea that Lent ended at midnight before Easter Sunday.

In general, most people actually engage in a Lenten/Triduum observance. But as has been noted, the individual determines the parameters of a personal observance.

Since Lent now decisively ends at the beginning of the Triduum, one's personal observance for LENT ends at that time. But since Good Friday and Holy Saturday have their own tradition of fasting and since we Catholics try to avoid jump starting our celebrations of Solemnities, it makes sense to maintain a personal observance until Easter.